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David Tennant and Olivia Colman take centre stage in two new BBC Films projects

Tennant plays a world weary Dad in What We Did On Our Holiday while Colman takes the lead in London Road, the musical about the real life Ipswich murders of 2006

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Written By

Ben Dowell

1:13 PM, 09 May 2014

The BBC has unveiled the first tasters of two new films starring former Doctor Who star David Tennant and his Broadchurch co-star Olivia Colman.

Tenant stars in What We Did On Our Holiday from the creators of the BBC comedy series Outnumbered and is shown in a clip looking on as his children make jokes at the expense of his onscreen brother, a wealthy banker played by Ben Miller.

In the film the two families get together – and clash – at the birthday of the two men’s father played by Billy Connolly. Also starring is Rosamund Pike, Celia Imrie and Amelia Bullmore.

According to production sources it will be released later this year, probably September.

Colman is shown singing in the new film London Road, based on the National Theatre’s production of the musical about the 2006 tragedy when Stephen Wright murdered five victims who worked as prostitutes in the London Road area of the city.

Colman stars as Julie, a Neighbourhood Watch volunteer who tries to revive a sense of community spirit in the wake of the killings by organising a floral competition to spruce up the area.

Tom Hardy plays a taxi driver and former EastEnders star Anita Dobson has been cast as another resident in the film which “depicts a community grappling with what it meant to be at the epicentre of this tragedy” according to the BBC.

At today’s launch the BBC also revealed that Alan Bennett’s stage play The Lady in the Van is to be made into a feature film.

Maggie Smith, who starred in the National Theatre’s stage version of the play based on the real life Mrs Shepherd, the who lived for 15 years in a van outside Bennett’s north London house, will star in the BBC Films project. Alex Jennings plays Bennett.

The BBC also revealed that its film Pride, directed by Matthew Warchus, will close Directors’ Fortnight at Cannes and is set to open in the UK on September 12.

The film, which stars Bill Nighy, Imelda Staunton, Dominic West, Andrew Scott and Paddy Considine, is a comedy set in the summer of 1984 about a group of gay and lesbian activists who decide to raise money to support the families of the striking miners.

Christine Langan, head of BBC Films, said: “Our ambition is to be a creative hub enabling exciting British filmmakers to tell their stories.”